The Red Elephant in the Room II: Cranberries

Mother Nature wins again in this commonly known remedy that has been passed down from a time before even the Native Americans can remember. Yes, I am talking about the cranberry, also known as the bearberry.

Vintage engraving of a cranberry (date unknown)

Cranberry juice contains an active ingredient that prevents bad bacteria from attaching to the wall of the bladder, making it a useful and natural antimicrobial. On the plus side too, proanthrocyanins are present, which will help rebalance the flora around the urethra.

Recently, there has been lots of skeptism around the cranberry juice method with women leaping onto the medicinal health forums, saying

"The advice you gave is wrong! Down with all the doctors! Boo to medical advice!"

Eugene Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People (1830)

But this isn't the doctors' fault: the recent adulteration of cranberry juice include adding dyes (Red #40), loads of sugar and other unknown ingredients which could further feed the bad bacteria on the urethra and exacerbate the condition. So much for leading a revolution.

It is best to buy organic, non-sweetened cranberry juice with ingredients you can actually read and understand on the label if you cannot go into the field to pick and juice the cranberries yourself. If the tartness is too bitter, adding some natural sweetener such as Manuka honey will help. Drinking 2 cups of this "berry" helpful remedy will keep the doctor away!